Stewardship: Tithes and Offerings:
Last week we set the tone for the series on Stewardship ¡V we defined what stewardship is and we tried to bring home the understanding that stewardship went beyond just the act of giving --- it went to the core of living. It went to the core of who and who¡¦s you are in Christ. Today I want to go deeper into specific aspects of stewardship.
Now sometimes our Sunday Study Talks are emotional in nature and sometimes they are more intellectual in nature, but hopefully they are always educational. Well today the talk is going to be intellectual in nature and so I am going to ask you to put on your thinking caps and to follow along with me as a try and build a scriptural basis for the understanding and interpretation of what I feel scripture teaches us about the specific aspects and truths with regard to Tithes and Offerings.
But as is our custom here at Grace Point, especially when we are studying topics that can be interpreted in different ways, I want to stand firmly on Acts 17:11 and encourage each of you to take what you hear here today and use it as a springboard for your own study asking God to guide you in what He would have you gleam from the scriptures on this topic.
Acts 17:11 (New International Version)
11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Before I get into this study I also want to remind you of what I said last week --- there is a subtle difference between understanding and belief --- between acceptance and Faith and that difference makes all the difference in the world. It is in that difference that we understand without God anything is possible, but with God all things are possible. It is in that difference we can show the World a Christ that is worth believing In --- we can show them a Faith that has changed us form the inside out, a Faith that can Change the World.
So you may hear some things today that differ from what you have traditionally heard about Tithes and Offerings, but I encourage you to go beyond the surface and seek that subtle difference, because it is in that difference where you will find the true intent, the true meaning behind what I am trying to share with you today.
Tithes and Offerings - Does God require us to give a tithe of all we earn--- does God dictate that we give 10% of all we earn back to the Church --- His Church?
That’s what most of us have been taught, but is it Scriptural? Let’s see if we can’t find out together.
Two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always compulsory), and giving to God (always voluntary).
If we study the Old Testament we will find that the period from creation to the establishment of the Old Covenant spanned about 2,500 years and during that whole time the Bible mentions tithing only twice.
The first occurrence is found in Genesis 14 -- After four Mesopotamian kings had plundered Sodom, Abraham and his men pursued the attackers and recovered all the stolen property. When they returned, the kings of Sodom and Salem came out to meet them. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, was a priest of God and this is what transpired:
Genesis 14:18-22 (New International Version)
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ’I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me.
Let’s notice a few things here:
First Abraham was giving away someone else’s property. He plainly said he didn’t own it and if it wasn’t his how could he tithe any of it?
2nd: Many People believe Melchizedek was in fact Jesus himself and Jesus did not ask Abraham to give him the 10th, in fact he told Abraham to keep the goods ---- All Jesus wanted was the people. Let that sink in --- Jesus wants you, not your goods.
The next reference to tithing is recorded in Genesis 28:20-22:
Genesis 28:20-22 (New International Version)
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Again, no one mandated Jacob give, it was a free will offering that Jacob wanted to give and It is not clear whether Jacob intended to tithe on everything God provided throughout the rest of his life or only the goods provided for the return trip to his father¡¥s house. Moreover, we must wonder how he would carry out his promise. Would he give his tithe to Melchizedek? Was Melchizedek still alive?
Before the Old Covenant, those 2 mentions of giving a tithe to the Lord are all we have and neither were a mandated amount, they were both freely given of the person’s own desire and in the first instance, the recipient told the giver to keep it.
This now brings us from the time of the Old Covenant up to Jesus; a Period of roughly another 2000 years. During this period, we do see a whole system of Tithes set up, but we need to take a close look at them --- what were they and why were they?
For ancient Israel, God established an elaborate system of sacrifices and other services to be administered by priests. One whole tribe, the Levites, was devoted to this service.
Leviticus 27:30-33 (New International Version)
30 ’A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock; every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD. 33 He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’
Because Israel was a theocracy, the Levitical priests acted as the civil government. So the system of tithes was a precursor to today’s income tax, as were other tithes that went to fund the national festival (Deuteronomy 14:22-29). Or Israel’s welfare system:
Leviticus 19:9-10 (New International Version)
9’When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
And Exodus 23:10-11
Exodus 23:10-11 (New International Version)
10 "For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops,
11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
This whole system was to fund the country --- to fund the government of God’s Chosen people. To provide a system of welfare - and it was compulsory under the Law --- it was part of the Levitical Law, but we are free from that Law. Jesus freed us from the Law with His death Upon the Cross for Our Sins. If we were still under the Law, then our tithes would not be 10% - they would be the near 30% that Israel was required to tithe under the Law. ---- Interestingly enough, that is about what most of us pay in mandatory taxes to our Government and Jesus teaches us it is our responsibility to do so: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s¡¨ (Romans 13:1-7 & Matthew 22:15-22)
So if the Israelites actually gave more like 30%, where did the 10% come from?
The word "tithe" is a word that means a tenth. The Greek word is dekate which means a tenth part, it’s a mathematical word and the Hebrew word is maasrah and it too is a mathematical word meaning a tenth part - - And so Christians through the years have just felt...Well, we’re supposed to give ten percent, but we can clearly see that was not the case for the Jews --- they gave 10% of various activities ---10% plus 10%, plus 10% and so on --- it can add up very quickly and we can see in Malachi 3:8-9 --- God took this very seriously:
Malachi 3:8-9 (New International Version)
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’ "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse, the whole nation of you because you are robbing me.
We want to make sure we don’t rob God --- not a good thing to do, trust me. But please note God said Tithes and offerings; well, remember I said at the beginning two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always compulsory), and giving to God (always voluntary)? Tithes and Offerings
Old Testament Tithes were not gifts to God, but taxes for funding the nation of Israel. And that Old Covenant obligation was not extended to the New Covenant Christian. So what then is God’s plan for Christian giving for our Offerings unto the Lord if you will?
New Testament believers are never commanded to tithe. Matthew 22:15-22 and Romans 13:1-7 tell us about the only required giving in the church age, which is the paying of taxes to the government. The guideline for our giving to God and His work is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7:
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (New International Version)
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Paul wrote this instruction in his letter to the Corinthians and when he did so, he used the Macedonians as an example to the Corinthians of how one was supposed to Give --- We see that in chapter 8 verses 1-5:
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (New International Version)
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
There are some very key points here to note:
First: Their giving was initiated by God’s grace. That is it wasn’t just human, it was something supernaturally motivated and produced. Verse 1 says:
2 Corinthians 8:1 (New International Version)
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
Secondly: their giving transcended difficult circumstances.
Verse 2 tells us:
2 Corinthians 8:2 (New International Version)
2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
Even in the midst of their own struggles and poverty, they found enough to give --- to give of themselves and of all they had.
Thirdly: Their giving was with joy, even in their ordeal and affliction their abundance of joy was manifest in their giving.
2 Corinthians 8:2 (New International Version)
2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
They just didn’t have trouble paying their monthly bills, they were in extreme poverty and yet it brought them great overflowing joy to give to the Lord. And they just didn’t give a Tenth - they gave much much more!
2 Corinthians 8:3 (New International Version)
3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.
And they did not do it out of compulsion or out of some legalistic law obligating them to do so. No, they gave it because they wanted to:
2 Corinthians 8:3 (New International Version)
3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
And that is the difference - if you give out of compulsion there is no joy, but if you give out of Love there is Great Joy and a great desire to do so - because you see; You can give without loving, but you cannot Love without Giving. And that is the Subtle difference I talked about at the beginning of this talk --- that is the difference that will change your heart and change the world! We see that in Verse 5:
2 Corinthians 8:5 (New International Version)
5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
The gave themselves first to the Lord. When you let Christ be the center of your life, then your life centers around Christ and where your heart is there your treasures are also. And where were their treasures? --- we see that clearly in verse 4
2 Corinthians 8:4 (New International Version)
4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
These people we in affliction and extreme poverty, in short that had enough problems of their own to worry about, but they gave themselves to the Lord First, they Surrendered all they were and would ever be --- all they had and would ever have unto the Lord and it changed their heart and took their focus off themselves and placed their focus onto Christ and in that abounding Love, they begged and pleaded (urgently pleaded) for the privilege --- it was not a burden --- it was a privilege to give to the Lord. And it was never commanded of them to do so; they did so because their example was Christ and the wanted to live up to His Standard of Love for them in their Love for Him.
2 Corinthians 8:7-9 (New International Version)
7But just as you excel in everything; in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Christ is our model and our Lord and as we have learned before, we are called to put on Christ daily so we can grow more and more like Christ as we mature in our Faith and in our relationship with Him. And Christ gave everything He had and was and is, to us because He loves us that much --- we are called to do the same for Him.
Here are what some others have to say on the subject:
Hasting’s Dictionary of the Apostolic Church:
"It is admitted universally that the payment of tithes or the tenths of possessions, for sacred purposes did not find a place within the Christian Church during the age covered by the apostles and their immediate successors."
John Wesley: On the Use of Money (excerpt from a 1744 sermon)
"give all you can; or in other words give all you have to God. Do not stint yourself, like a Jew rather than a Christian, to this or that proportion. Render unto God not a tenth, not a third, not half, but all that is God’s (be it more or less) by employing all on yourself, your household, the household of faith and all mankind, in such a manner that you may give a good account of your stewardship."
Billy Graham:
"The question as to whether to tithe from one¡¦s net or gross income is not answered in Scripture, nor is the question of whether to give it all to the local church or to include other ministries. Such decisions should be based on personal conviction. Tithing is not mentioned in the New Testament except where it is describing Old Testament practices. The matter of your giving is between you and God, and He always takes into account our circumstances. He knows when they are beyond our power to direct and control. The important thing is that we see giving as a privilege and not as a burden. It should not be out of a sense of duty, but rather out of love for the Lord and a desire to see His kingdom advanced."
2 Corinthians 9: 7 (New International Version)
7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Let us pray.
